KAA contracts firm to provide software for managing revenues

Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) is set to adopt a new software to manage its revenues.

The agency has awarded a five-year contract to software firm Concessionaire Analyzer+ (CA+) together with Eastra Solutions Ltd, a Nairobi-based solutions provider, to provide the revenue platform.

The contract is for supply and maintenance of an integrated point-of-sale solution to help collect detailed transactional sales data from firms doing business at airports. It will also allow KAA to enforce revenue-share agreements already in place at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

Kenya poised for another first in mobile money revolution

BUSINESS DAILY By BRIAN NGUGI

Tuesday, October 18 2016

Kenya is poised to enter a new mobile money economy era, judging by the steady rise in cashless transactions for goods and services.

A new study by consultancy firm Deloitte says Kenya is ripe for a mobile money revolution and urges local businesses to align their sales models with the emerging reality to stay ahead of the competition.

The impending mobile payments revolution marks yet another first for Kenya, which has been a front-runner in mobile payments backed by innovations such as mobile money transfer service, M-Pesa.

Kenya, South Korea sign deal on internet security

Kenya and South Korea have signed an agreement to boost internet and data security in the country.

Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru on Wednesday inked a memorandum of understanding with South Korea’s ICT and Future Planning Minister Choi Yanghee to establish links between government departments, research stations, organisations, businesses and training centres involved in information technology.

“The purpose of the MoU is to enhance cooperation between the two countries in the field of ICT. For the mutual benefit, the two countries have identified areas of cooperation in policy, institutions, technology development and service,” a statement from Mr Mucheru’s Office said after the signing of the MoU in Seoul, South Korea.

Next ten years promise development through ICT-propelled transformation for Africa

DAILY NATION By JOE MUCHERU

Monday October 03, 2016

The next decade promises development through an ICT-propelled transformation for Africa. The launch of the Smart Africa Initiative in Kigali, Rwanda, in October 2013, set a renewed pace for the realisation of the continent’s development aspirations.

It is envisaged that through Smart Africa, a single digital and knowledge-driven economy will emerge and push the continent’s global competitiveness to higher levels. However, for this to happen, African countries must take deliberate measures to create enabling platforms for large-scale implementation of ICT in all areas of the society and economy.

Bitcoin firms investors stuck with shares after CBK ban

Kenya’s tough stance on digital currencies such as bitcoin has left investors such as ICT cabinet secretary Joe Mucheru unable to dispose of their stakes in companies dealing in the virtual cash.

Mr Mucheru in January announced that he would offload his minority shareholding in BitPesa, but the share sale coincided with the banking sector regulator’s warning to the public against use of cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin.

Digital learning the future of our education

DAILY NATION By KUNLE AWOSIKA

Friday September 23,2016

David Warlick — educator, author, programmer, and public speaker — once said that we need technology in every classroom and in every student’s and teacher’s hand because it is the pen and paper of our time and lens through which we experience much of our world.

This, combined with a now-connected global economy means it is imperative that we embrace the digital reality, to make school more relevant for the youth of the current generation.

Over the past few years we have witnessed governments around Africa warming up to digital education transformation, with various ambitious projects laid out in their bid to deliver quality competitive education to the citizens.

Governors protest after Communications Authority denies them radio frequencies

DAILY NATION By DAVID HERBLING,

Wednesday September 21, 2016

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has denied county governments permits to set up radio stations, stirring a fresh storm between Nairobi and the devolved units.

The telecoms sector regulator has rejected 20 county government applications seeking FM radio broadcast bands, arguing that broadcasting is not a devolved function.

“The authority has not issued any county government with broadcast frequencies for either FM or TV broadcasting. The Constitution envisaged that the provision of public broadcasting services is the role of national government since this function is not devolved,” said CA director-general Francis Wangusi in an interview with the Business Daily.

CA allows 700Mhz spectrum testing to boost internet speeds

The government has allowed private and public agencies to pilot use of the 700Mhz frequency spectrum evacuated from media houses after digital migration for internet connectivity across Kenya.

Communications Authority(CA) Director-General Francis Wangusi said this was aimed at unlocking new economic opportunities across various sectors for reliable and faster internet downloads and communicatons services on a wireless platform.

The 700 MHz spectrum is the highest-quality wireless frequency enabling corporate and individual users access faster internet speeds from across the country with telco operators.

Kenya's digital revolution continues to exclude women

When it comes to ICT in Africa, Kenya is rightfully feted as a success story. With impressive connectivity rates, we could genuinely be talking of last-mile connectivity.

The latest quarterly sector statistics report indicates that we are looking at an Internet penetration rate of 87.2 per cent, of which 99.4 per cent is through mobile.

Furthermore, 99.4 per cent of Kenya’s population has access to 2G network services whereas 78 per cent has access to 3G services.

Yet there is more to the high percentages than meets the eye. First, only 18.6 per cent of Kenyans subscribe to a paid broadband plan, and while 78 per cent have access to 3G coverage, we can't say for sure that it is always reliable or accessible

Businesses to benefit from e-govt project, says Mucheru

DAILY NATION By JAMES KARIUKI

Wednesday September 07, 2016

More than 41,000 people working in business processing and outsourcing firms are set to benefit from the ongoing digital infrastructure project by the national government, Information Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru has said.

Speaking at Kenya School of Government in Kiambu County on Monday, CS Mucheru said more online jobs will be created once all government departments embrace e-government, making information readily available for better decision making on health, agriculture and investment.

Mt Kenya counties in joint bid to make public information accessible

County Governments in Mt Kenya region are working with the Information Communication Technology (ICT) Authority to have a common data sharing platform for easy access to public information.

Representatives from Embu, Kirinyaga, Tharaka Nithi, Meru, Nyeri and Nyandarua counties want the data they collect uploaded in the national open data portal.

Speaking after a two-day workshop that ended in Embu town on Saturday, they said they were contemplating on whether to have the data uploaded as a block or each county to upload it’s in the national platform.

Kenya has made a number of strides in reforming its communications law as there are a number of proposed amendments to existing legislation.

In June, an attempt was made in drafting an ICT Bill 2016, which has met a lot of resistance from various stakeholders, including the Information Communications and Technology ministry. It is notable that the Bill did not originate from the parent ministry but from an MP.

The main focus of the Bill is on regulation of the ICT experts through a professional body. It also provides for registration, training and licensing technology practitioners.

Hackers risk 20-year jail term in proposed law

BUSINESS DAILY By JOHN NGIRACHU

Tuesday, August 23 2016

Hackers will face fines of up to Sh20 million and up to 20 years in jail under a new law to tame cyber crime being prepared by the government, Information, Communication and Technology Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru has said.

Mr Mucheru said the security agencies would need training on how to handle crimes assisted by information technology while judicial officers would also need to upgrade their knowledge of such matters.

He said the punitive punishments are contained in the Computer and Cybercrime Bill, which is being prepared and is yet to be presented to the Cabinet for approval.

Govt urges public to give views on ICT Practitioners Bill

The government has called for consultations over a Bill to regulate information, communication and technology (ICT) practitioners.

Government spokesperson Eric Kiraithe said the public and practitioners still have a chance to share their views on the 2016 ICT Practitioners Bill.

“Our continued position as government, is that this Bill, as currently constituted, is archaic and poses a threat to the ICT industry,” Mr Kiraithe told journalists during a briefing in Nairobi on Thursday.

The Bill proposes that people who want to work in the industry must first be registered.